As the new term starts today we ask famous Merseyside faces which teacher most inspired them. Reports by Sarah Gaffney, Tony Barrett and Peter Grant

Jamie Carragher, Liverpool FC

“WHEN I was a schoolboy in Bootle my favourite teachers had one thing in common – a passion for football.

“The two teachers that spring to mind straight away are Mr Rourke from St James’ catholic primary and Mr Dickinson from Savio High school.

“Mr Rourke was an Everton season ticket holder and Mr Dickinson was the physio with England schoolboys, so it was inevitable that two fellas who were so into their football would have a big influence on me.

“People like Mr Rourke and Mr Dickinson were really important to me. As you’re coming through you come across certain people who help you on your way and that was definitely the case with those two.”

Ray Quinn, singer/actor and X Factor runner-up

“MY singing teacher Miss Suzanne (Suzanne Taylor) from Chiltern Casting School in West Derby, is a real inspiration because she is a real pro at what she does.

“She’s been teaching for yonks and she’s influential because she has a great passion for what she does.

“When she feels she recognises a good artist or up-and-coming artist, she really wants you to do well and she spurs you on and gives you the courage to get out there and do it.

“When I was younger I couldn’t sing a note in tune. I had no control -–literally raw singing. She was the one who brought my voice up and I was taught by her for years, since I was eight years until I was about 16 or 17.

“She wouldn’t shout at me, she would never tell me off. She would say ‘that was ok but you could do this better’ instead of ‘that’s awful’.

“She used to tell me my voice was getting better and my pitch and volume. You would feel so comfortable in what she was saying.

“Colette Byatt (the owner of the school) is also a really close friend. She was like a second mum to me; Miss Suzanne was exactly the same.

“They always had faith in me and supported me.”

Bill Heckle, former teacher and director of Cavern City Tours

“ONE man changed my life – my economics teacher Neil Roberts at my school, Holt High, when I was in the sixth form.

“ He encouraged me and five other pupils to take ‘A’ levels and he said we could get the required three ‘A’ levels to get into university.

“At the time, only 5% of sixth formers went on to university. I think, now, it’s in the late 40% range so you can see it was a lot harder then.

“The great thing that stands out for me about Neil Roberts was that he actually gave up his own lunch times – his own valuable spare time – to teach us sociology.

“ He was previously at Quarry Bank and had taught Brian Barwick, now the FA chief executive, who is still a close friend of mine.

“I went on to pass all my ‘A’ levels and then I went to see him and said ‘what do I do next?’

“He said ‘get in the car’ and he drove me to the Eleanor Rathbone Building where I was accepted as a student of economics at the University of Liverpool.

“ I never looked back and was proud to be the only one in a working class family who went on to university. And I couldn’t have done it without Mr Roberts.”

Dame Beryl Bainbridge, author

“I HAD a teacher at school called Miss Crouch and she taught me English at Merchant Taylors’.

“She was a very good influence on me in many ways because I found her manner so different.

“She was plump with brown hair tied back, but not as brutally as some had it, and she wore long skirts and jumpers and sensible shoes. And in those days teachers couldn’t be married.

“I was quite good at English, history and art but hopeless at maths so the teachers were a bit short with me.

“We did all the old books; the thing I found interesting is the fact that we did a lot of Shakespeare and I didn’t really understand a word of it but when we grew up and went to see the plays in the big theatre then we understood.

“There were two influences in my life. I went to Crane Hall on Hanover Street to elocution lessons with Miss Ackerley who was very influential.

“She taught you elocution but she read plays as well and, through that, I got on Children’s Hour in Manchester. It helped one’s development!”

Dave Kirby, poet and writer

“I WAS 11-years- old and in my first year at St Kevin’s Comprehensive school in Kirkby.

“A gang of older boys collared me on the way out of the assembly where I’d just been praised by the headmaster for having a poem published in the Liverpool ECHO.

“At the time St Kev’s wasn’t receptive to poets or actors.

“ I ran the gauntlet for most of that week. I had a fight in the main corridor and one inside a classroom.

“I quickly learned that writing sincere verse was bad for my health – even my brothers were on my case – so my writing was understandably suppressed, despite encouragement from a great English teacher named Mr O’Brian.

“Indeed it was Mr O’Brian’s inspired classroom performance poetry that had me mesmerised - listening to classics from Robert Service and John Betjeman.

“By year three I’d wised up and toughened up, but my love of English never diminished.

“I’d write about teachers, pupils’ lavatory antics and school smokers.

“That was then, this is now.

“I won a Scouseology Award for best comedy. I have a football related book due out and Lost Soul makes its Royal Court debut tonight (Monday).

“When I was at All Saints School in Anfield he was the type of teacher you respected and remembered.

“I can recall he used to smoke in class – not exactly the done thing and he would say in his real Scouse accent ‘Hey you, dead legs, move along now’.

“He often threw things at the pupils, such as chalk, but only to get their attention.

“I know how much his inspiration affected me because, to this day, some of things he taught me remain and are still so useful for life.

“Not many teachers taught you all about mortgages.

“ He also had a simple rule about the difference between insurance and assurance.

“‘Maggie’, as we called him, would say ‘with assurance you can rest assured that you will one day die; as for insurance, it’s a case of making sure you have enough money in case you die’.

“ I can honestly say as a teacher Mr Maguire made you want to go to his lessons.

“ I actually looked forward to maths.”

Lord (Peter) Goldsmith QC, Former Attorney General

“I HAVE been very lucky from the beginning. Quarry Bank School for Boys was the best possible place to have been. That was a great start.

“It was a great school and we had some really good masters. The headmaster was Bill Pobjoy who, I think, was largely responsible for the school’s success. Everyone was filled with the idea ‘we can do what we want to do’ and we all got on and did it.”